The Sun. — London, England, 1864-11-12 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence. It has been announced at the headquarters of the Royal Engineer establishment, Chatham, that Col. 11. D. Harness, C.C., will resume his command of the Royal Engineers and director of the Engineer establishment, at the expiration of his lengthened leave of absence, which has been extended to the Ist of January next. The statement of his inten tion to retire from the corps is therefore premature. In the absence of Col. Harness from headquarters the daties connected with the director of the Royal Engineer establishment are carried out by Lieut.- Col. T. B. Collinson, the second in command. Yesterday a detachment of nine officers and 50 non-commissioned officers and men of the Royal Engineers, under the command of Lieut. Bell, ar rived atheadquarters, Chatham, from Milton,where they were stationed for some time to go through a course of ball practice previously to embarkation for colonial service. In accordance with instructions to that effect re ceived from the Horse Guards, detachments of Sappers and Miners have been selected from the several depot companies of the Royal Engineers at headquarters, Chatham, to augment the 23d come pany of Royal Engineers, which has recently ar. rived at headquarters from Aldershott camp. They embark, it is understood, early in the approaching year for the Mauritius, to relieve the 25th com pany, which has been absent from England nine years. The nonecommissioned officers and men of the 23d company since their arrival at Chatham have been placed on the fieldworks for the purpose of going through a course of military engineering previously to embarking for colonial service. In consequence of the companies of Royal En* gineers employed on the ordnance trigonometrical survey of Great Britain and Ireland having been recently reduced below their proper strength a number of noncommissioned officers and men have been selected from the depot companies of Royal Engineers, Chatham, to augment the aura veying Companies. They will leave the garrison on Monday next for Southampton, the headquarters of the surveying department. The men - selected are those who had completed their instruction at the topographical and surveying schools at the Royal Engineer establishment. The companies of Royal Engineers employed on surveying duties are the 13i h and 19th in Scotland, the 14th in London, and the 161,h in Ireland. An extraordinary accident happened yesterday in the Laboratory department of Woolwich Arsenal, soon after the men had resumed their work after the breakfast hour. The establishment was alarmed by the report of an explosion in the upper room of the cartridge bag and paper mills, used for filling per cussion caps for the service. The method of opera tion is by the use of thin copper plates, somewhat resembling perforated cardboards. These are filled with caps ready to receive the fulminating compo. sition prepared for that purpose. When the whole are filled the superfluous composition is gently and cautiously removed with a piece of paper. It appears that James Watson, a man about 25 years of age, was performing this process when the composition exploded with a loud and terrifying report. Wat eon's hand and face was severely burnt, and he was taken to the local infirmary. The cause of the ex. plosion is a matter of much perplexity to those concerned. The War Department steamer Balaclava, William Pellett, commander, having completed repairs, yes terday commenced shipping Armstrong guns end sundry stores for the western stations. In addition to the above, she will fill in her magazines with 100 tons of ball cartridges, consisting of 3,450 quarters barrels, for Bull's Point, Devonport. Her Majesty's gun-vessel Landrai', after under going thorough repair, yesterday went down the river from Woolwich on trial of her engines, which were found in good working condition. The Land. rail is now ready for commission. Like the Niger she is without a pennant, but she is coaled and pre pared for sea at any notice. The War Department transport Petrel landed at the Government powder magazines, Upnor Castle, Chatham, yesterday the powder and shell from her Majesty's paddlewheel steamer Barracouta, 6, 1,053 tons, 300 horse power, Commander J. D'Aroy, which has arrived in eke Medway, from the West Indies, to be dismantled and put out of commission, after being nearly four years in active service. The War apartment transport Bomarsund arrived at the Ordnance Wharf yesterday with the guns from the Barracouta. The customary inspection of the steamer has been made by Vice-Admiral Sir Chas. Talbot, naval Commander in Chief at the Nore, who visited the various portions of the vessel and mustered the crew and witnessed them exercise at quarters. Considering the length of time the Barracouta has been in commission and the station to which she has been attached the vessel is in very good condition. The petty officers and crew are a smart and active body of men. Tho steamer is being dismantled, and the crew have commenced returning her stores into the dockyard. The following is the list of the vessels of the Royal Navy which will be armed, and are now be ing armed, with the new description of 300 pounder and other grins in course of issue. The figures after each vessel specify the number of guns of the description mentioned she will carry. To mount the 12 ton 300 pounders :—Bellerophon, 10—Royal Sovereign, s—Minotaur, 4—Scorpion. 4—Wiveren, 4—Prince Albert, 4—Agincourt, 4—and Northum berland, 4. To be armed with the 6 ton guns : The Achilles, 20—Black Prince, 20—Warrior, 20— Lord,Warden, 20—Lord Clyde, 20—Royal Oak,2o— Consort, 20—Royal Alfred, 20—Caledonia, 20—Ocean, 20—Minotaur, 18—Agincourt, 18—Va liant, 16—Zealous, 16—Hector, 16—Defence, 10— Resistance,lo—Eady mion, 6—Messey, 4-0 rlando, 4 —Pallas,4—Favourite, 4—Hesearch, 4—Enters prise, 4—Amazon, 2—Viper, 2—and Vixen, 2. To mount the 64-pounder muzzle-loader t—The Bristol, 12—Melpomene, 12—Liverpool, 12—Severn, 12— Arethusa, 12—Phoebe, 12—Shannon, 12—Octavia, 12—Constance, 12—Sutlej, 12—Undaunted, 12— Imperiense, 12—Aurora, 12—Leander, 12—Bas chante, 12—Emerald, 12—Pbaeton, 12—Narcis sus, 12—Forte, 12—Euryalus, 12—Topaz, 12— Newcastle, 12—Lilly, 12—Immortalite, 12—Glas gow, 12—Clio, B—North Star, B—Racoon, 8— Challenge, B—and Menai, 8. The followinglwill be supplied with the 64 pounder breech-loaders : The Scout, B—Rettlesnake, B—Cadmus, B—Scylla, B—Barossa, B—Jason, B—Charybodis, B—Wolve rine, B—Pylades, I—Orestes, B—Pearl, B—Pelorus, B—Satellite, B—Acheron, 4 —Shearwater, 4—Va. lorous, 4—Furious, 4—Bittern, 4—Magicienne, 4 and Columbine, 4. A supply of the 61.t0n smooth bore 100-pounder wrought iron guns has already been received at Chatham, and it is understood that the first supply of the 300-pounder rifled 12-ton Armstrong gun may shortly be expected at the Ordnance wharf. The screw steamship Donegal, 81, Captain James A. Paynter, left Plymouth yesterday for Liverpool to do duty in the Coastguard service. Her tender, the steam gunboat Goshawk, will follow shortly. Some alterations are to be made in the rig of the iron-cased screw steamship Prince Consort, 35, Captain George 0. Willis, C. 8., and the iron ship Defence, 16, Captain Augustus Phillimore, at Devonport. They are to be fitted with single topsail yards and fidded topgallantma s t s . The Iron-clad frigate Valiant, 24, 4,065 tons, 800 horse power, attached to the Chatham steam reserve in the Medway, is being altered in her rig, so as to enable her to spread a larger amount of canvas. Instead of carrying only topsail yards, as at pr esent) B be will have both topmasts and topgallautmasts. Paddle yacht Osborne, Th© Prirce of 'Wales's Staff Commander Geo. K. Bower, arrived at Ports mouth yesterday from Woolwich and the Baltic. The Victoria screw three decker, Capt. James G yesterday in Portsmo-ath Goodenough, was swung harbour to ascertain the deviation of her compass. According to present arrangements the Victoria will go out of harbour to Spitheed on Thursday next and will sail for the Mediterranean on Saturday the 19th inst. Mr H. C, C. Childers, M.P., one of the Lords of the Admiralty, attended to his official duties yester day at Devonport. He was present when the arti sans of the dockyard were paid wages. Sab-Lient. Francis Main, serving on board the iron screw steam ship Black Prince, 41, Capt. Lord F. H. Kerr, was tried yesterday by court-martial on board the Royal Adelaide, in Hamoaze, for being asleept,in his hammock on the main deck of that ship on the 2d Nov. in the first watch when the ship was lying in the Sound, he being the officer of that watch. Capt. Augustus Phillimore pr aids d, and the charge being proved Lieut. Main was dismissed the service. The sentence would have, perhaps, been less severe but from the fact of his having been punished about 12 months since for a similar offence. The following appointments were made yesterday at the Admiralty—Lieut. S. R. Streatfield to the Espoir—Lieut. R. C. Smith to the Meander—Lieut. R. W. Davies and Lieut. R. H. Hamond to the Duncan—W. R. Dalton, staff-surg., to the Royal Adelaide—Dr John Nihill, surgeon, additional, to the Duncan, for service at Bermuda Hospital—Dr. Arthur J. Ireland, assist.•surg., to th© Royal George Wm. T. Richards, paymaster, to the Shannon—D. Robb, chief engineer, to the Fisgard, for the Oberon —and T. Traill, chief engineer, to the Cumberland, for the Serpent. Another flag-officer's service pension is at the disposal of the First Lord of the Admiralty by the death of Admiral the Hon. Sir Montagu Stopford, K.C,B. The Park Lane Improvement. At the weekly meeting of the Metropolitan Board of Works, held yesterday, at the office in Spring• gardens, Mr Thwaites in the chair, Mr TITE, M,P., called attention to the present position of the Park lane Improvement question, as one which demanded serious attention and imme• diate action. He said this matter had received great attention in the House of Commons, and without doubt some change was necessary for the public convenience. It would be remembered that he brought the subject forward in May last, after hay. ing been publicly questioned in the House of Com• mons as to the course which the Board would adop :o carry out the improvement, and he found the subject was not very popular. He adopted the view that the opening up of Hamilton-place would re. medy the evil, and after a discussion by the Board, a reference was made to the Streets Committee, to consider and report. Oa June 13, the committee met and agreed to a report, in which they stated that the opening of Hamilton-plane would give the public the facilities which were required. This report was presented to the Board on June lith, when the report was approved, and a motion was carried, directing the chairman to communicate this opinion ,o the Chief Commissioner of Works, and a letter was addressed to the Chief Commissioner, stating that the widening of Park-lane was too formidable a work for the Board to undertake on its own re. sponsibility, there being no special fond for improve. ments. The Chief Commissioner replied that there were great difficulties in the way of opening up Hamilton-place, and suggested thtst the board should obtain parliamentary powers for widening Park lane, the cost of which work, the Commissioner thought, should be borne by a metropolitan im• provement rate. Much time had been lost without any action being taken, and this important question stood in the same position it did before. Now, in a week, on the 17th, the latest day would pass on which noticcs could be served, and in order that the board might have power at a future day to intro duce a bill into Parliament for the purpose of effee. ring what the Chief Commissioner urged, he should move, " That the Streets Committee be authorised to serve the regular parliamentary notices for the carrying out of the Park-lane improvement, and that the book of reference be prepared." The adop tion of this motion would not pledge the board in the slightest degree to the carrying out of the work bat if that time were passed over without these steps; being taken, the opportunity would be entirely lost, and nothing could then be done for another year, In his opinion the improvement could be effected, by going through Hamilton-place at little cost to the public, and without any great inconvenience to the inhabitants of Hamilton.place. There was some talk of asking the Chief Commissioner to open the park to a certain class of traffic ; but whatever might be done in that direction it behoved the board not to pass by the present opportunity of serving the notices, by which means they would be preparing the way for future action. Mr ROCHE seconded the motion. Mr BROOKER said the Board had plenty of im provements with which to occupy its attention dur ing the year, and he did not see why this question should be taken up. He should move as an amend• men t that the question be deferred. The cost of making the improvement, he understood, would be very groat. Mr NEWTON stated that the estimated cost of widening Park-lane was £llB,OOO. Mr LEGGE thought that the question should be referred to the Streets Committee to hear from the superintending architect a report as to the coat of the improvement. Mr D'IFFANGER expressed himself as entirely opposed to the motion, as he was of opinion that if the Board served the notices it would be bound to carry out the improvement, which would entail a great outlay of money for compensation alone, be sides the cost of land. The CHAIRMAN explained to Mr D'lffanger that if the motion were carried the Board would commu nicate with the Crown officers to ascertain if the land necessary for the improvement would not be given up, as well as to see if the authorities of St. George's, Hanover square, would co-operate with the Board in the matter. Mr DIFFANGER said it was in the power of the Chief Commissioner to show that he was desirous of effecting a public benefit by restoring to the public the part of the gardens extending from Stanhope• gate to Hyde Park-corner, which was taken from the public some time ago. Mr MILLER, M.P., said one thing was very cera tain, and that was the Board would have to carry out this long-wanted improvement. Whether the parishes or the Government paid the cost, or whether there would have to be a special rate, was not now the question, but the question was whether the Board would allow itself to be shut out from taking any steps in the matter for another year by refusing to servo these notices. As to the compen• sation which would have to be paid to the inhabi tants of Hamilton-place if that place were opened, he supposed a clause might be introduced allowing them to claim compensation if they could show in.- jury. Of course the Board did not desire to override the rights of any inhabitants of any place, but those who claimed would have to prove their rights. Mr TITE replied to the objections which had been made, and said he had altered the terms of his mo tion in order that it might pledge the Board only to a certain course of action. It now was " That with a view to obtain a locus standi in Parliament for the opening of Hamilton-place so as to improve Park-lane, Parliamentary notices be given, and a book of reference prepared ; that negotiations be opened with fho Chief Commissioner of Works,:and with the parish of St. George's, Hanover-square, by the Streets Committee; and that the whole subject be brought before this Board at the earliest pos sible date." The motion was put from the chair and declared carried. A division was demanded, when the num bers were—for the motion 22, against 8. It was then declared carried. The Hon. Gilbert Heathcote, M.P., and Lady Evelyn Heathcote will leave Drummond Castle to-day for Orton eville, Peterborough. BR 1' T BEVERAGE.—Homcelpathic practitioners, L K ong A u s EA and the medical profession generally, rec)mmend cocoa as being the most healthful of all beverages. When the doc trine of homoeopathy was first introduced into this country, there were to be obt tined no preparations of cocoa either at tractive to the taste or acceptable to the stomach ; the nut was either supplied in the crude state or so unskilfully manufactured as to obtain little notice. J. Ept s, of London, homoeopathic Chemist, was induced in the year 1839 to turn his at'ention to this sulject, and at length he succeeded, with the assistance of elaborate machinery, in being the first to produce an article pure in its composition, and so refined by the perfect trituration it receives in the process it passes throegh, as to be most acceptable to the delicate stomach. For general use Epps's Cocoa is distinguished as an invigo rating, grateful breakfast beverage, possessing a most deli cious aroma. Dr. Hass a n, in hiswork "Adulteratio n of Focd," says ocoa con'ains a great var i e ty of important nutritive principles every i ngredient necessary to the growth and sustenance of th e b o d y. " Again: "As a nutri tive, cocoa stands very much hi g h er than either coffee or tea." Directions—Two teaspoonfuls of the powder in a breakfast cup, filled up with boiling water or milk. Secured in tin-lined Vb., fib., and 11b. labelled packets, a d sold by grocers, (.onfectiouers, and chemists. - [.kprr.] rHE SUN, LONDON', SATURDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 12, 1864. The Atlantic Telegraph. The manufacture of the cable for the Atlantic Telegraph has now made such progress that the time of its comple tion may be calculated to a day, and should all go well in ;be submergence of the line, there appears no reason why, by the end of July, 1865, there should not be telegraphic communication between England and the American con• tinent. And, if the same amount of care and foresight is shown that is at present bestowed upon the manufacture of the cable, it would seem that success is certain and assured. Any person who was acquainted with the manner in which the first cable was prepared—the inferior quality of its materials and the ill-usage to which it was subjected must be struck with the great contrast now exhibited in these points—and if with all these drawbacks, and with the limited experience of our electricians, the feat was accom plished of transmitting messages to and from America, there would appear no reason why, in the completely al tered state of circumstances, a grand and decided success should not be achieved. The Government have not, as on the former occasion, given to the enterprising company the use of one of their first-class frigates, such as the Agamemnon ; but they have lent to the company two old war ships—the Amethyst and the Iris, which have for years past been on the sick and dis abled list in the Medway, and which will convey the cable, as it is completed, from the works at Greenwich to the Great Eastern at Sheerness. The Amethyst is now lying in the river off Greenwich, and a portion of her deck is in course of removal, in order to take in the iron tanks in which the cable will be coiled. The one great feature of difference in the manufacture of the present and the former cable is that while the one was not in water until it was laid in the depths of the Atlantic, the other will not be out of the water from the time of the first stage of its progress until it is deposited in its ocean bed. This affords opportu. nity for conducting a continuous aeries of electrical tests under circumstances best calculated to discover any defect in the construction. It involves, however, a very large expenditure. In the first place, there aro six circular iron tanks or reservoirs, about thirty feet in dia- meter, and about twelve feet deep, erected at the works of the Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company, at East Greenwich (formerly Glass, Elliot, and Company). Into these the cable is coiled as it is formed, and every fresh layer of the coils is submerged with water, Each of these tanks will hold more than 120 miles of the cable. Then there are four similar tanks, but considerably larger, to be built and fitted, two each, in the Amethyst and Iris; and when the cable is removed into them it will here also be laid under water. There are yet three more tanks, each nearly double the size, or 68 feet in diameter, to be put together on board the Great Eastern, into which the cable will be coiled from the conveying ships, and, as in the fore mer stages, the wire will be under water. No small part of the outlay required for the work will be taken up in this preliminary stage of finding the means of storing the cable while in process of manufacture and en rotae to its destina tion. When all is complete, and the signal is given to the Great Eastern to go a-head, she will have a load, including fuel for the voyage and paying-out apparatus, of 17,000 tons, and of this the weight of the cable alone will be 3,960 tons, or, including the tanks and the water, not ar short of 5,000 tons; and if the weather be favourable and all goes well, the line will be laid in about twelve days. With respect to the cable itself, that is a subject which has occupied an immense amount of attention, first in deciding upon its proper form and constituents, and next in securing the requisite quality of materials and workman ship. Upon the first point the directors of the company very wisely resolved that they would not, as was the case on the former occasion, take on themselves the responsibility of deciding on a subject of which they were profoundly ignoe r ant, and they left it to a committee, consisting of Mr Fair bairn, Mr Whitworth, Capt. Galion, Prof.Wheatsone, and Prof. Thompson, to determine the conditions which, after mature deliberation and experiment, they considered re quisite. One of the d fficulties which the committee had to solve was so to arrange the various parts as to prevent any strain upon the core, or portion along which the electricity has to pass. There are some portions of the Atlantic where the depth is more than two and a half miles? and the mere weight of such a length of cable as would extend from the bottom of the ocean to the ship would be sufficient, unless proper precautions were taken, to stretch or to break this inner wire. The line as fi r st constructed failed in consequence of this point not having been kept sufficiently in view—its specific gravity was much too great for its strength, and it was the strain upon the inner core which was, probably, the cause of its failure. The new cable, like the first one, has a centre or core formed of 7 copper wires-6 laid round one. The weight of copper in these wires is, however, 30elb for each nautical mile, as against 1061 b in the first cable. This is in itself an impor tant point of difference, the weight of copper for the con ducting wires in the whole length being more than 200 tons greater than in the first cable. The gauge of the wire used is that known as No. 18. These conducting wires are in sulated by four layers of gutta percha, laid on alternately with four thin layers of the material known as Chatterton's compound, the diameter of the core thus covered being rather less than half an inch,the exact figures being .464 in, and the circumference 1 . 39 Lin. In the first cable the core was protected by three coverings of gutta percha, weighing 2611 b per nautical mile—the difference between the nautical and geographical mile is in the proportion of 2,126 to 1,769 yards—to weight of the insulator in the first cable was 2611 b, in the present one it is 4001 b per mile, For the pro tection of the core and the insulating portions there is a padding or coating of soft jute yarn, saturated with a pre servative mixture, which is wound round and next to the insulating outer surface of gutta percha. This will help to resist the strain brought to bear lapon the cable when a great length is paid out in deep water, Outside of this padding is the coating, employed only for protective pur poses, and forming, of course, no part of the telegraph pro per. This consists of ten solid wires, of the gauge .095, drawn from homogeneous iron. Each of these wires is surrounded separately, with five-strand tarred manilla. The whole of these ten strands are then laid spirally round the padded core, and they are formed in such a manner that when a heavy strain comes upon it the wires will give greater strength to the cable. In the first telegraph the protection of the core was sought to be effected by eighteen strands of charcoal iron wire, each strand com posed of seven thread. like wires. These were laid spirally round and upon the core. In paying out the cable the whole strain came upon the core, or inner portion, and - not upon this outer coating of wire, which really served only to increase the specific gravity without giving addi tional strength. The line now in hand hate a vast superiority over the former one in regard to its specific gravity. The first weighed in air 20cw t , this weighs 34cwt to the nautical mile; in water, however, the weight of the first was 13 - 4 c w per mile ; the specific gravity of the second, notwithstand ing its greater strength and increased diameter, is but 14cwt. When it is considered that probably some eight or ten miles of the cable will be suspended in water between the points on which it rests at the bottom of the ocean and the ship from which it is being paid out, it will be seen at once how important is this great increase of strength, obtained as it is with so small an addition to its specific gravity. Buoyancy combined with strength has been obtained in a vary satis factory manner. The hemp which surrounds the protecting covering of the iron wires is much lighter than water, hence the comparatively low specific gravity. The next important point is the strength or breaking strain. This in the first telegraphic cable was 65cwt, in the present it is 155 cwt, or considerably more than twice that of the for mer. The first stage in the manufacture is carried on at the works formerly of the Gutta Percha Company, near the City-read, but which are now incorporated with the firm of Glass, Elliot, and Company, under the name of the Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Ccmpany (Limited). There are seven copper wires to form the con ductor. The entire length of the telegraph will be 2,303 miles, so that there is 16,000 miles of copper wire. Every portion of this copper wire is subjected to electrical tests to ascertain its quality for conduction before it is allowed to be worked up. The next stage is to coat these wires with eight successive coats of the insulating material, equal to an aggregate length of 18,400 miles. This core is next covered with jute wound round it from ten strands, making 23,000 miles of jute yarn. Then comes the outer coating formed of the ten covered iron wires. The iron wire itself is 23,000 miles in length, and each wire is covered separately with five strands of tarred hemp, 135,000 miles of the latter being required, making together an ag gregate length of material employed of 215,500 miles, or very nearly as much as would put ten girdles round the earth, or form a line that would stretch almost from the earth to the moon I The machines at work at East Greenwich are expected, when fully at work, to complete about 12 miles per day of the allotted task, but in these 12 miles are wound and twisted more than 1,000 miles of the hemp and jute strand, iron and copper wires, and gutta percha coating. The machines that aid in producing these 12 miles of composite rope are each constructed upon the same principle. As many bob bins as there are strands to be wound or twisted are placed in a revolving frame, and the wires or yarns from each bob bin, led up into a small aperture, are entwined with each other into one twist around a central wire or core, as the case may be. The machines for covering the separate wires are small and the bobbins revolve with great rapidity, making as many as 600 revolutions per minute. The larger machines in which the cable is completed are necessarily slower in their movements, the revolutions varying from 25 to 60. The rope is formed by a machine working vertically, and not horizontally,as in the smaller ones, On a circular stage, some 12 feet in diameter, are placed 10 bobbins, much in the same manner as the roundabouts at a village fair. Each of these bobbins, although carried round upon the stage, makes a revolution upon its own axis for every turn of the roundabout. From each of these a thick strand, al ready prepared in other machines, passes upwards to meet at a small opening at the top of the ascending core, and the ▪ 10 cluster around it and twine upon its surface their iron . and hempen strands, and all go off in company to one or I other of the great tanks prepared for their reception. t As we have already intimated, there is an abundant sup ; ply of electrical apparatus at the works, and carefully ad • justed battery power, which is continually sending its mea ▪ sured force along the wires, so as to detect the slightest flaw or defect in insulation, and register with unerring ac t curacy its extent, whether it be duo to material or work manship, with a facility nothing but this invisible and in scrutable agency can discover.—Rattway Yews.: The Hurricane at Calcutta, The following extracts from private letters and reports received from Calcutta give additional de tails of the hurricane that caused such destruction of life and property in the city and harbour on the sth of October;— _ _ Calcutta, Oct. 6. On the evening of Tuesday, the 14th inst., the sun set amidst clouds of a deep red, with purple veins, as if bursts jug with passion. A gale, with rain, commenced, and lasted all night. Next morning (Wednesday, the sth inst.) at day break, the wind was blowing fresh from the north-east, the rains still continuing. Gradually it changed round to the east, and was so fresh and the rain:so heavy that after break fast I put off going to office, in the hope that the weather might improve ; the day being the first of the Doorgah Phojah, and almost every office except the Foreign-office, being closed for the holydays. Between half-past 10 or 11 in the morning, the gale changed to a tempest, trees split up an cracked, and fell across the the road, so that the resi dents at garden reach were literally hemmed in. About 12 it would have been impossible to reach the house without personal danger. Trees were torn up by the roots; doors blown in breaking through their iron fastenings ; walls blown down and the roads rendered impassable by fallen trees and heaps of debris of broken wood and brickwork ; while the alarm as regards the shipping in the river was - - - very great. This continued without intermission until 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and, indeed, continued until be tween 4 and 6, but at 3 o'clock, the bore of the Ganges burst in, and then followed such a scene as I never witnessed before. Within a few minutes, I was going to say a quarter or an hour, but it might have been half an hour, the water about my house was at least 3 ft. deep, if not deeper, and a flood extended as far as it was possible to see through the storm. Not knowing at first what was the nature of a bore, I was much alarmed, but meantime natives from all quarters were coming for shelter, which, of course, I gave them, and learned that the bore would begin to go down at 5 o'clock. The flood, indeed, subsided, but the place was not free from water till next morning—i.s., to-day, Thursday, the 6th. This morning at 6 o'clock I went out, and saw trees torn up by the roots lying in all directions. Neemuck Ghat was impassable, but with some climbing I managed to reach the Peninsular and Oriental Steamer-office. The Bengal was driven ;shore on the Howrah side ; the Nemesis and Nubia were both dismasted and otherwise injured, and I heard that hundreds of poor sailors must have been drowned, and that all the shipping in the river had been blown away from moorings. At that time the poor fellows were even leaving the great hospital ship the Hindostan as unsafe, and it has since game down. 1 The King of /Dudes buildings were dismantled and flooded, and I understood from a friend that earlier in the morning he had seen many of the zenana ladies in a condi tion eminently calculated to offend their sense of the pro prieties, As to the masses of native huts they were simply blown down and then flooded ; indeed, during the gale many cad groups of poor natives with their wives and ch dren were to be seen struggling through the flood. Bee and mutton are said not to be in the bazaar, and the num ber of sheep, cattle, and fowls that were carried away by the storm and flood cannot be estimated. The Baboo who lets out carriages in Garden Reach has lost many ponies, and his stables are simply a marsh. Almost every tree in the Maiden is blown down. But the terrible and almost heartrending sight was the river. From what I have seen I should say that there was not a ship left in its moorings, but I hear that two have managed to keep whole—namely, the Worcestershire and the City of Paris. At least 24 have sunk to the bottom with their crews. The Moulmein steamer went down head foremost. Of the ships driven ashore I can safely say there are at least 60, and I should say 100. Many ships have been driven high and dry in the strand by the bore. There are not six dingies in the river, and only two or three in the canals. At seven places n the river I saw what appeared to be from seven to 12 vessels at least jammed up in one spot; this alone would account for 49 vessels at the least, or seven wrecks at seven different spots. At least 300 European sailors are said to have been drowned, and as for the natives, the accounts are so extraordinary that I fear to give them currency. lam afraid that something like 6,000, at least, have perished in the bore and hurricane, and this is only one-tenth at hat told me was the estimate of an old Calcutta merchant, namely that 500,000 have perished. I have seen such a vast number of wrecks and deserted ships this morning as I hope never to see again, and, as I am quire sure could never have been seen before since the commencement of recorded history. The sight was made doubly horribly by the crowd of sight-seers in consequence cf the Doorgah Poojah holidays ; and yet most of the people present must have suffered more or less from the storm You will see by the newspapers that Calcutta will be with out gas for a few days, and this is only one of the many devastions. Forbes, the clothier and haircutter, close to the Foreign-office, had mbny of his hats and other goods blown into the street and churchyard and destroyed. Thacker and Spinks' now house is thrown down. In fact it would require many sheets to indicate the extent of the general disaster. The trade of Calcutta must be seriously affected. Ex ports and imports must be at a dead stop for months in consequence of the destruction of shipping. The losses to ships' insurers must be something fearful. lam willing to believe that there has been one hurricane or tpphoon in Jamaica which was more terrible from being accompanied by an earthquake, if I remember rightly; but the destruc tion of shipping is unparalleled. The catastrophe is one for which nothing can be done now. The ships are lest, the people are drowned, houses aro damaged, and property destroyed, and the more ques on of repairs is the work of time. Steamer Riever, Oct. 12, south of Sandheads, The steamer Alphee left Calcutta on Oct. 3 with mails and passengers for Marseilles, and while coining to an anchor off Diamond harbour in the evening she unfortunately lost an anchor and 70 fathoms of chain, also her port hawsepipe, as well as doing mush damage to the portbow. The Com mander (Lieut. Jeheune of the Marine Imperiale), deter mined upon returning to Calcutta to have the damage re paired before going to sea ; we got back on the evening of the 4th ; the next day Calcutta was visited by one of the most terrible hurricanes that ever blew. The Alphee, un der the guidance of her able commander, escaped unhurt throughout, and will leave Calcutta on the 3d proximo. The steamer Riever, owned by Messrs Jardine Mathison, and commanded by Captain Bolton, was chartered to take on the Alphee's mails and passengers. We left our moorings at Garden Reach at 8 a.m. on the 11th instant, and passed the lower light at 8 a.m. We will commence with the steamer Bengal (Peninsula and Oriental), which vessel lies on the northern bank of thr river high and dry. I fancy there will be great difficulty experienced in getting her off. Th e s t eamer s Nemisis and Fubia are in their moorings apparently in a very battered state. A little below Garden-house Point lies the French ship Admiral Casey, also high up the bank and much da maged ; below this are a number of steamers and flats which once formed the fleet of the Oriental Island Steam Company. They are most of them helpless wrecks. The Gogra is the only one remaining at her moorings, and as far as I could see she is much damaged. Next comes a noble iron ship, the Royal Alexandria, very high up the bank, but not injured. A ltttle above Sankrale Bazaar are the ships Lady Rawlins= and a French vessel (name un known)—they are a long way np in the fields. The villages of Sankrale and Oloobariah are almost swept away, With the exception of a few native oraft there are no more wrecks until wo come to the once noble ship Baron Renfrew ; she is lying a total wreck in a creek a little above Diamond Harbour. The pilot, captain, and crew were saved. At Diamond Harbour almost everything is in ruins. The Bentinck (late hospital ship) has gone about a quarter of a mile inland ; the Custom-house is down, and the whole place looks quite deserted. The hulk which was in use for the preventive offioers to put off from went down at her anchors. Below Diamond Harbour is Kantabariah Point ; there lies the tug-steamer Alligator, apparently uninjured, but a long way inland. lialfway between Kantaberiah and Middle Points is the wreck of the ship Ally, a vessel of about 1,000 tons burden. She left Cacutta on the 4th inst. under pilotage charge of Mr E. Worthington, commanded by an European master, having the usual complement of officers and about 50 Lascars, also 300 native emigrants for the Mauritius ; she was at anchor at Middle Point, and, having driven in the early part of the gale, she grounded on a land bank and capsized. The only persons saved are eight or ten of the emigrants. Soon after the storm I proceeded down the river for the purpose of making a search for my poor friend Worthington, bat I only succeeded in finding one of the coolies in the vicinity of the wreck of the Raron Renfrew. He states that.all the Europeans, including the captain's wife and three children are drowned. He also states that Mr Worthington walked the deck giving his orders in a cool and collected manner up to the time of the ship capsizing; that when she commenced to heel over the crew were in the act of cutting away the foremast; he remembers nothing more but that he got hold of a piece of wreck, and, after drifting about several hours, he found himself on terra f irma. The Martaban, one of Broklebank's fleot, drove over all the sands from Saugor to Cowkally, leaving 120 fathoms on one chain and 90 on the other. The steamer Alexandra had as miraculous an escape. Most of the people, including the postmaster and his family, were drowned at Kedgeree. In fact, from Hoogly Point down to Saugor the river banks are strewed with dead bodies and the carcases of cattle. I found the navagation from Mud Point to sea most intricate, as there is hardly a buoy in its place. Both Gaspar lights are gone, and there are only the deb? is of three of the buoys left in the Gaspar Channel. We passed two troopships in the Eastern Chan nel—the Conflict and the Sydenham. They came in after the gale, and report having had nothing bat light weather to the southward. The lower floating light was in position, which circum stance leads me to believe the pilot brigs are safe, although not yet returned to the station. The steamer Celerity has been de patched in search of them. There was a ship at anchor off Saugor before the gale, called the Colombo. Sho had a pilot on board, and was outward bound. lam afraid she has foundered, as nothing has been seen of her since. We passed the passenger ship Nile about 200 miles to the southward of the Sand Heads, She showed her numbers and house-flag, and apparently all were well on board. Madras,—On arrival here we learn that the British India Steam Company's steamer Orissa, on her passage from the Sand Heads, picked up two Lascars belonging to the Bri tish India Steam Company's steamer Persia, which vessel is reported by the Lascars to have been lost during the hurricane at the mouth of the river. P.S.—I forgot to state that the tug-steamer Defiance rode out the gale oft Middle Point. The captain informed me that she only shipped one sea, which slightly damaged her starboard paddlebox. She is decidedly the class of boat for the Hoogly. SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. LIVERPOOL AUTUMN MEETING.7-FRIDA.y. The Croxteth Cup of 50 sovs in specie, added to a Sweep stakes of 10 sovs each, h ft, for all ages. T,Y.C, 5 subs. Mr W. Phillips's Persuasion, 3 yrs, Bst 91b (J. Grimshaw) w.o. The Whitefield Nursery (handicap) of 15 sovs each, 50 added. T.Y.C. 13 subs. Mr P. Henry's Purity, 7st 81b .. (J. Grimshaw) 1 Mr J. Day's Lord Ronald, 7st 21b (`lonia) 2 Mr Samuel's Birague, 7st 101 b (Loates) 3 The following also ran :—Merry Harp, Anadymene, Lily Lye, Protectionist, Naples, and Reparation. Betting—Even on Purity, 6 to 1 agst,Naples, 7 to 1 agst Protectionist, 10 to 1 each agst Lord Ronald and Anadyo- mene. Purity, in company with Lord Ronald, Anadyomene, and Birague, made the running to the enclosure, where the favourite drew away and won by a length—a like distance between the second and third. Birague headed Anadyo mene a few strides from home, and won third place by half a length ; Naples was fifth, Reparation sixth, and Lily Lye next, close together. The last two were Merry Harp and Protectionist. The Corinthian Welter Stakes (handicap) of 5 soya each, with 30 added, for 3 yr•olds and upwards. Jockeys G.lb extra. Mr Saxon's Idle Girl, 3 yrs, 9st Sib (inc. Glb extra) (J. Grimshaw) 1 Mr W. G. Craven's Almack, 4 yrs, lOst Illb (in. 61b ex.) (Goater) 2 Mr Drake's Worthless, 3 yrs, 9st Illb (Mx Drake) 3 - - The following also ran :—Disappointment, Hawkshaw, Japan, and Vanquisher. Betting-3 to 1 agst Worthless, 7to 2 agat Almack, 4to 1 agat Vanquisher, and 8 to 1 agst Idle Girl. They got away in close order, but after running a few strides Almack, in company with Jupon, made the running to the half-distance, where Idle Girl came up and won a fine race by half a length, Almack defeating Worthless by a length and a half ; Jupon was fourth, close up ; Van quisher fifth ; Disappointment and llawkshaw beaten off. The Liverpool Autumn Cup of 200 soya, added to a Sweep stakes of 25 soya each, 151 t, and 3 to the fund if declared; winners extra. One mile and a half. 98 subs,, 71 of whom declared. Mr Jackson's Tartar, 3 yrs, 6st 41b (J. Grimshaw) 1 Mr 0-bnne's Gaily, 4 yrs, 6st 4lb Mr Samuel's Twilight, aged, Sat The following also ran ;—My Mary, Black Deer, Brick, Charming Woman, Donnybrook, Stockinger, The Beaver, Planet, and Franfreluche. Betting-6 to 4 agst Donnybrook, 100 to 30 agst Tartar, _ _ LO t© 1 agst Twilight, 11 to 1 agst The Beaver, 12 to 1 each agst Stockinger and Planet, 100 to 8 agst Brick, 100 to 6 each agst Charming Woman and Gaily, and 33 to 1 each agst Black Deer and My Mary. The three quarters of an hour allowed between the Corin thian Stakes and the time set for the Autumn Cup was made good use of, as the numbers of the dozen competitors were exhibited long before the usual time ; this led to the horees going to-the starting post earlier than the public ex • pected, and about 10 or 12 minutes before the appointed hour the flag was lowered and the race commenced. They left the post in close company, but before they had gone many strides Black Deer, evidently with the intention of making a pace for the Beaver, rushed to the front, closely followed by Donnybrook and Tartar, the three running nearly abreast to the stables' turn. When fairly round this point, Tartar, evidently overpulling " Jemmy," headed his horses, and proceeded along the far side with a clear lead of Donnybrook, Black Deer, and Charming Woman, to whom succeeded Gaily, Stockin ger, Twilight, My Mary, Planet, and the Beaver, in a body. Brick and Franfreluche, who appeared unable to live the pace thus early made, were seen gradually dropping in the rear of everything. Increasing his advantage, Tartar on rounding the bridge turn was upwards of half-a-dozen lenghts in advance of his followers, the pace having been hitherto so strong as to dispose of three parts of the field, which at this point began to exhibit a lengthened appear ance. As they neared the T.Y.C. post the favourite, who had hitherto held his own, gave evidence of defeat, and on entering the straight Taylor was observed to be hard upon his horse. Shortly afterwards he disappeared from the front, and his place was taken by Gaily, who headed those remaining with a chance, including Black Deer, Twilight, and My Mary, and with The Beaver on the extreme right. These struggled on into the distance, when Twilight ran through her tired horses, and for a brief period headed John Osleorne's filly ; but upon Fordham finding the old male's chance extinguished at the Stand he eased her, snd left Gaily to do battle with the Tartar, She had not, however, a chance of success, as Mr Jackson's colt won very cleverly at last by three lengths ; Planet, who ran past a lot of pull ing-up horses, finished fourth, and close up with him came Beaver, fifth, My Mary sixth, and Stockinger and Brick seventh and eighth; the last lot comprised Black Deer, Charming Woman, and Fanfrelucho. A handicap Plate of 40 soya for all ages; winners extra; the winner to be sold for 300 soya, T.Y.C. 8 subs. Lord Westmoreland's Practitioner, 3 yrs, Sat 10Ib (Ford hart)) 1 Mr Stirk's Protectionist, 2 yrs, 7st 41b (Cranshaw) 2 Mr Howard's Sister Mary, 2 yrs, 7st 21b Mr T.Sinith'e Outten Lowe, 3 yre,7st 101 b (1I Grimshaw) 4 Lord S.ifton's Hoops, 2 yrs, Get 101 b Betting-5 to 2on Practitioner,and sto 1 agst any other. Ouiton Lowe got away with a slight lead to the distance where he was headed by the favourite, who won by half a length ; the same between second and third ; a good fourth. The winner was bought in for 90 guineas. Handicap Plate of 40 soya, for 3-yr-olds and upwards. Three-quarters of a mile. Mr T. Connelly's Saccharometer,4 yrs, Sst 121b(Fordham) 1 Mr S. Hawke's Armourer, 3 yrs, Est 4lb (Carroll) 2 Mr Saxon's Jane Shore, 3 yrs, Est (H. Sharp) 3 Mr Temperley's Alice, 4 yrs, 7st 51b (Lawrence) 4 Mr J. Wood's Pupil, 5 yrs. Bst 81b Betting-5 to 2on Saecharometer, sto 2 agst Jane Shore, and 6 to 1 agst any other. The favourite, with a clear lead, made the running, having Alice and Pupil as his immediate followers. On entering the 4traight Pupil ran wide, and in a few strides further Alice was in difficulties; at the distance she was headed by Jane Shore and Armourer, who came on in attendance upon the leader, but without a chance of reaching the front, and the favourite won by half a length; a bad fourth. Tho Heller Skelter Stakes of 3 soya each, with 40 added, for 2 yr-olds and upwards ; weight for age, with maiden and selling allowances. T Y.C. 6 subs. Mr Samuels's Birague, 2 yrs, bat 41b (t 20).... (Carroll) 1 Mr T. Cliff's Herschel, 2 yrs, 7st (120) " (Morris) 2 Mr W. Howard's Sister Mary, 2 yrs, Est Glb (£2O) (lleartfield) 3 Mr W. Saunders's Pleasure Boat, 6st 61b (£2O) (Tinian) 4 Betting-6 to 4on Birague, and 7to 4 agst Herschel. They ran in company to the half-distance, where the favourite came to the front and won cleverly by a length, the same between the second and third and between the third and fourth. The winner was bought in for 75 guineas. Steam Shipbuilding on the Clyde, Messrs. Inglis, of Point-house, have launched a screw of 500 tons for a Spanish firm. The steamer, named the Bayo, will be fitted with direct acting engines of 90 horse power. She is constructed to oarry a large cargo with a moderate draught . of water. The steamer Hattie, originally built for the Wemyss Bay Railway Company, but afterwards sold for blockade running purposes, has run the Lights at the rate of 19 miles per hour ; she was built and engined by Messrs Caird and Co. Messrs Aitkin and Manse', of Whiteinch, have launched a paddle of the annexed dimensions :—Length of keel and forerake, 250 ft ; breadth of beam, 31ft depth moulded, 12ft. She was named the Florence, and is being fitted with oscillating engines of 250• horse power, by Messrs. J. Aitkin and Co., of Cranston-hill. Messrs. C. Connell and Co., of Overnewton, have launched an iron screw of 650 tons for Messrs. Handysides and Henderson, who propose to employ her in the Mediterranean trade. She was named the Napoli, and is the fifth steamer built by Messrs, Connell and Co. for the same_ firm. Alr. T. B. Seath, of Rutherglen, has launched the Voldreque, the fifth steamer which he has built to the order of the Haytian Minister, for passenger traffic in Hayti. The dimensions of the Voldreque aro 156 ft. by 20 ft. and 14ft. The Aleppo screw, 2,000 tons, has been launched from the yard of Messrs. J. and G. Thomson, of Govan. She is the first of a new fleet building for Messrs. Burns and M'Jver, of Liverpool, and is intended for their Mediterranean service. There are nu less than 14,000 tons of steam shipping building on the Clyde for the same firm. Oa the whole the ships building trade of the Clyde is scarcely so active as formerly, the dearness of money having exercised a depressing effect on this branch of industry. During October hero were launched on the Clyde 15 vessels of 12,000 tons, against 20 vessels of 17,000 tons in October, 1863. The Ell.' and Countess of Ilvetourt hayo ar rived at Long'e JOURNALS, TeelEs.—lf General Grant has been really in fluenced in his movements by the desire to advance the political interests of Mr Lincoln, he has been sorely disappointed. The battle of the 27th of October appears to have been a severe defeat, and if the Presidential election of the Bth inst. took place with the shadow of this disaster upon it, the re' elected President will have little cause to thank his sanguine and devoted subordinate. The scene of this last encounter was the course of the Southside Railway, which runs in a generally westerly direc tion from Petersburg. The Confederate works covered this line, and General Grant is described as throwing forward three corps—the 9th, sth, and 2d —with the intention of flanking them. The Con federate commander, taking advantage of this false movement, made a sortie from the works and inter posed between the 2d and sth Corps, driving the former back in eonfusion,and taking many prisoners. A Republican account is that the Confederate move ment compelled General Grant to withdraw his troops to a safer position. This is, of course, a more gentle way of saying that be was repulsed. The re sult of the day's fighting evidently was the defeat of the Federal army with considerable loss, and the discovery, on the part of General Grant, that the position of the Confederates in the neighbourhood of the railway was not to be lightly assailed. The long delays of the campaign have given General Lee the opportunity of strengthening this part of his line of defence with the same ability that he has shown at other places, and the Federals must now come to the conclusion, however unwillingly, that the year is likely to end, not only without the cap ture of Richmond, but even with Petersburg and the arteries that supply it still in the hands of the enemy. On the same day that General Grant assailed the Confederate position above mentioned General Butler made a still more disastrous failure. The importance attached to these operations by the Federal commander is shown by the great mass of men that was brought into action, the battle having extended along or rather round the whole Confederate position. We have not the details of enough to know that he was still more completely defeated than Grant. Two corps were repulsed with heavy loss; two brigades were cut off from retreat by the fire of the Confederate batteries, and were ultimately captured. At night the Federal army retreated to its former position. Such is the news that we have under date of the Ist of Novem ber. It would now appear that not only will no great victory shed a ray on the Presidential elec tion, but that the year will end with the Virginian campaign still lagging slowly on. A barren vic tory in the Shenandoah Valley is all that the Fede rals have to boast of in the autumn of 1864. The defeat of Lengstreet by Sheridan last month was certainly a feat of arms creditable to the latter Ge neral, but nothing has been decided by the contest, which leaves the two armies face to face as before. On the general course of the campaign it seems to have had not the smallest influence. We must conclude that the four or five months of enforced inactivity which begin with the setting in of the Virginian winter will be passed by the several armies as in former years, and that the subjugation of the Confederacy must be deferred by the most sanguine Republican to the spring of 1865. In the South-west it is impossible to fellow accurately the movements of the various commanders, described, as -they are, vaguely or erroneously in multitudi nous despatches. But there is every reason to sup pose that the Confederates are making great efforts to render the position of General Sherman's deputy at Atlanta untenable; and, from the tone in which the matter is now discussed at the North, we may gather that the capture of that eity, from which so much was expected, now hardly gives any hope of a speedier ending of the war. The comment on these untoward events is the rise in the price of gold. W hen Atlanta fell gold sank to 190—it has now risen again to 241, and before the end of the present month may probably be as high as at any time during the past summer. 'With the vast expenditure that goes on daily, the recovery of the American paper currency could only be due to the belief that a few months would bring a cessation of hostilities and of public waste. As if forgetful of the unbending obstinacy of the Southern character, the Federai public anticipated great moral effects from the capture of Atlanta — nothing less than a conviction on the part of the Southern people that the contest was hopeless, and perhaps an effort of individual States, Georgia or Alabama, to shake off the yoke of the Richmond Government. But no such effects have been wit nessed. The reverses of the autumn have steeled instead of softening the hearts of the Confederates. The Governors whose secession was speculated upon have met and determined on a step which, if adopted by the Southern Congress, will make the struggle of the next year more fieice and bitter than any thing that has gone before. If " every able-bodied man, irrespective of colour," be placed in the Confederate army, there is nothing to prevent the war lingering on until African and Anglo-Saxon are destroyed together. It is impossible even for us, who are divided by the ocean from the scenes of slaughter, to beer of these things without a feeling akin to despair; what, then, must be the impression on those who know that they must gird themselves up to still greater exertion, and sear their consciences for the toleration of still greater savagery in the year that is to come ? There is but one hope—that another interval of inactivity may induce reflection. Mr Lincoln will, at any rate, have nothing more to gain from a popular vote, and may do his duty to his country without fear of losing any political advantage. The eve of the Presidential election is, as the late despatches testify, disgraced by more than the usual acrimony and fraudulent dealing. The ferocity with which the two factions denounce each other surpasses anything of which we have a conception in this country. The practice of mili tary intimidation, the imposition of test oaths, the direct falsification of the returns throughout entire States, are weapons of electoral warfare peculiar to the American continent. A still more extraordinary measure is the taking of votes for States which are only nominally under the authority of the Northern Government. Seldom has the world seen such an overthrow of all that has been hitherto held essen tial to a free Constitution. But there is no reason to apprehend open resistance to the victorious party, or even any great lamentation of the vanquished after defeat. To obey the majority is the instinct of the American, and the majority is clearly in favour of any violation of received rules which will insure the election of a candidate pledged to restore the Union. Any means are deemed legitimate which will lead to the attainment of this end. HERALD.—Viewed in relation to the purpose for which they are professedly devised the 70 pounder experiments at Portsmouth are ridiculous enough. To suppose that any gun of such calibre can be of general service in the British fleet is entirely to mis take the character of modern warfare. We are coating the Bellerophon with armour plates of five tons each, five inches thick, while the Lord Warden is to be protected with plates nearly six inches thick, and each weighing nearly ten toes. This latter frigate has an jailer skin of an inch and a half, so that she will have a total of about seven inches of armour on her sides, in addition to the massive backing of teak. Her total weight of armour will be about 1,300 tons, and the plates will extend about five feet below the water-line. In this style she is to encased from steam to stern. The Warrior is about to have her defensive power improved by having her plating carried round the bow and stern ; and in order to bear the increased weight her frame is to be opened :and lengthened fore and aft. Such are our defences. As for the efficiency of such protection, the experiments at Shoeburyness three months ago showed that it re quired a 150 pounder gun, armed with steel shot, to penetrate six inches of the best British iron armour at a distance of 1,500 yards. Under the conditions which represented this range (a smaller distance with a lower charge) the shot was decidedly effective, smashing through the plate and the tim ber backing behind. For the purposes of a more aggravated destruction a 220 pounder gun was em ployed, both guns being of Sir 'William Armstrong's pattern, rifled on the shunt system. These experi ments proved that the armour was penetrable, but at the same time it was demonstrated that nothing less than a 150 pounder gun, rifled, and firing steel shot, was competent to be considered an effective gun for the navy. The targets fired at were models of La Gloire and the Flandres, and of course we have no right to presume that other nations will make use of armour which shall be any less formidable than our own. If we choose to launch vessels carrying five, six, and seven inches of iron plating we may expect that France, Russia, and America will do the same. Viewing our recent progress in the practice of armour plating we may fall back on the statement somewhat unwittingly made in Parliament last session by a high official personage, who remarked that the 12 ton 30G pounder was the only effective gun when pitted against first class ironclads. Such a gun, it is evident, would put our navy in a posi tion of superiority, in power of offence against the finest ironc ads in the world. But the introduction of this great gun into actual service seems to he unaccouutably postponed. When we think we have got what we want, as in the case of the armament of the Royal Sovereign, we are destined to find that the gun will not be a 300 pounder until it is rifled; and in the meantime it continues to serve as a 150 pounder smooth bore. In the case of th e Bellerophon we arc promised ten guns of the right sort, and we hope we snail see them ; but past experience gives us little confidence. But a lth oug h the Armstrong and Whitworth 70 pounders are neither of them calculated to increese the efficiency of - ;our navy, yet the experiments performed with SPIRIT OF ... them at Portsmouth may be tu rned to some guns el, e 'K in another way. Defective as these measured by the standard of modern war, teJ o y serve to show some weak po i n ts in the elirr'o,Poo: tern of defence. Horizontal shell firing at a d vessel may be considered a mode of warfarei,lai:. cularly favourable to the g uns and especisio/ gerous to the ship. But o ,n this 00c . tr oor ship seems to have been p,-acticallY The tbC where she was literally the web,kest. c ompetitive guns had for their work the, o r , Where tu t te ',o• hull of the Alfred, target ship. nothing but wood in the way the shell Wecebof through, and although burstiog with flitted' of splinters inside, yet the missile i 13% more damage on the frame of the ship th,s,'"bei; have been occasioned by a solid ball 0 1 t o!, calibre. Of course, the explosion Wl'orec ship would have been terribly f atal to caip board; but this is a danger by n o meals da to wooden vessels. Th ere was, the ; notable exception to the clean passage cl i. , l ee et' shell. The Alfred was girded with t'Phr,v2 cables slung vertically, and elle of these 1116, to be struck by a hollow shot. The PNieciferel the cable in two, but the resistance taus 0 o its course proved fatal to the ship, fo r , i „ L that this one shell inflated more darnerott., wooden bulwarks than all the other she gether. Being checked by the cable the and shattered the timbers, of course dl,1100; wards a shower of the most dangerous sP4O. all probability much more perilou s to a Pre d those which would be occasioned by a sion between decks, The principl e with t dental circumstance serves to illust rate p rig c o to be simply this—that ineff ect i ve a rmou r c o than none at all. This assertion is boru e I the great gun and iron plate experiments aply buryness. It was there shown that a ra er ; 4 1 , steel bolt, striking against an arav lc i 01 shivered the timber backing into a ehe'cretio most deadly splinters, equal in effect O f : oi l ments scattered by an exploding ,hell. 0ff,610110 shown that when the sides of La Flandre® had thus been dashed in by e tli ,, l ill ° P. : was only needful to send in a shell or t it ''' deg. to kindle combustion of a most formi doble tion. It is a singular circumstance thatoilliel of these facts, the Admiralty a re having 8 - 13 i fitted to one or more of our wooden wa r ,,, order that chains may be hung over ," 00. " protect" the engines and the mo re vita l d e the vessel. Thus we are taught by that 70 pounder guns are useless againsl'';oellt.' ships ; that six inches of armour can be,19,h01;,'.4 by a 150 pounder rifled gun, firing steel that if an iron plate fella to keep out elltl t 'pet the shot as bad as shell, and helps pets splinters fen irewood. At Portsm outh that a shell is never so mischievous as 11 ; checked in the vessel's side so as to ba s il ' . is 1 , the main timbers. Shoeburyness sh°0111) the best of sea-going armour is Pe °e ;pip!" guns which other nations—if not our " el ° soon have afloat. Portsmouth demonstratehse 10: enough that, bad as a wooden vessel mai;„""eilet better than a wooden vessel cased with ' e li o 4 plates. Unless shot or shell can be alteg iki n? out it would appear better to let it " `va Alfred was not set on fire, notwitbste"sor mauling she received; but at Shoeburyne,ssiie rous were the splinters behind the Gil c4 o - t ail l ; after the use of solid shot that it W as c i - 00`;' prudent to send a number of artillerytnell.,tli,t; the debris before commencing to fire 'a l ,cti r ) Either, therefore, our armour must be e- n i ti we must not dare to hang it on a fram e v o cer r : As we have intimated on several previensd oe we fear that both in the question of arll°-fettt, guns the British Government is geillgeO.', wrong, and that we are incurring el l IP expenditure which will prove to have beeoeli, ably misapplied. Awkward as our ecs„liiie, may be, they would teach us, in spite oi w to P were we only more willing to learn; 1)111'1 nately, the War Office and the Adairalt) le C possess a most singular aptitude for dell/citer one thing and doing another. Thus, it ° foo l pens, we fear, that the foreigner 'earl fro° experiments what ho ought to do, Cifi' performances what he may better avoid' COUNTRY MARK-EIS' LIVERPOOL—FRIDAY. f Wo have had rather a small attendance Oited cur corn of exchange a han ri g i e cle t s h , is h m ow o e r v n e in r, g, w w er i e viertha,Elit, Tuesday's rates. LINCOLN—FRIDAY• t tO• AI( There was a good attendance at our ma th ote a tolerable show of wheat. Sales were I: o " o , o o;a c ij it d recent currencies may be written. Barle9 et Flu show, and best sorts fully maintained for h ° t jallV i riC a , e seconds rather lower in pric e . O a t s broug'pt the demand ruled healthy. Beans scarc e ' In peas no change. ':;ii White wheat new, 408 to 44s Barley, „.. Red do 3Ss to 40s Oats,' old, .• • , Old white 42s to 47s New d0.....'' Red do 39s to 43s Beans,.... •• ' Barley, malting.... 34 to 31s j B ean s, new".'''. STAMFORD—FRIDAY. A fair qua ndntif at y o lB f w to he 2B less tno'ney,at on offer which Me', I aerate dema f In olli e .„) 1 gra in the transactions have been at full y p rev'": —White wheat, .41s to 43s ; red, 3Ss to 41s pad B a rley, malting , 31s to 35s ; grinding, 275,t0 0",1 Oats, 18s to 23s per 21 stone. Beans, ol d, 3 S i, ' qr. ; new, 36s to 3SEI. BURTON. ON-TRENT—Lir r. 035.0 Old white wheat..46a to Ns I Old red wheat, New do. .. 44s to 47s I New do. " , p, Malting barley....32s to 36s I Oats. ......... Grinding d0.....27s to 29s I Beans ........ ' WAKEFIELD—FiIm/cr. ail; The wheat trade is quiet, and there is no ° J o ° vious values ; millers buy sparingly. Barley sale —secondary sorts are almost unsaleable. Averages for the weet : 4O 9 j Wheat 1732 qrs., at ........ ;Os ii. Oats 7O ........ 1 di s I t o ---Barley lll5 ........ s ....- i Peas .... •—•— ..... ••• 353 Beans 77 ........ BRISTOL SUGAR—FRIDOv.pe The sales have not been largo this" 3,ecr, however, firm, and in some cases rather hlg' Unties in lair demand at late rates. COAL M Prices of Coal per Ton al ,ItKET. tile °Joie of 010 10'4,;. W'ttllo: s. d. Baddlo'sWest Hartley 20 3 Cowpen Hartley 20 3 Bower's West Ilartley.2o 3 Edon Main 2l 6 H olywell lB 9 West Hartley 2O 3 Lambert's West Hart- Hotton ..... South KeHoe, K e i per Grang e ' c ioe..:, , Pensher Prno Russel's Lieugh 11511. Tunstall Bell ...a• • 33; bold, d, 3 ley 19 9 Tai.-.lield Moor 16 9 Ships at mark) Foreign Mail Packet iiiot" B. sex, the wife of Rev. A. F. Benwell, of ° "o h r FELLOWES.—On the 10th inst., at Editiptin' der Captain Fellowes, R.N., of a son. a° MANCILESTEIt.—On the 9th inst., in Lon of Manchester, of a daughter, stillborn' Marriages. C O 9) BOND—SCOTT,--On the 10th inst,, ©t C°„. rf „ ° cly ~, lathaniel Bond, Esq. of Holie, to P" - , 1 1 0 t I F seott, daughter of the late and sister of " Co; of Eldon. 4 , il ie d ,l 4 , ' ' SIMON —PowELL,—On the Bth inst., a t P,,i9Vl Church, Wolverhampton, George Si'to ' it" hl. t mark-hill, Surrey, and Fe of J. J. Powell, Efq., Q.C., nc and urc alot Cl° tio i Deaths. outli, A ERsKINE.—On the 9th inst., at Bourne° 7 e9' Hon. Thomas Erskine, age 709 Gil f t GURNEY,—On the 9th inst., Hudson p c, , Keswick Hall, Norfolk, aged 90. ht WO' A ,i HAINES.—On the 10th inst., at Sou:"Isi o ,4f- Yarmouth, Captain Berry Raines, 11--;10610/ MEAD. —On the Bth inst., at Richnloo-5 9 0, O' hi 1, Sydenham, Mr. James Mead, age- t 9et Leeds. flt it,l l ,o o° STOPFORD.—On the 10th inst., at 59 4r iv ,0 place, Edinburgh, Admiral the lion. '' 4' ford, K.C.B. 099 Cra' v iWADE. —On tho Bth inst., at Clonbralliji i'' Meath, Ireland, W. B. Wade, 8,`3 , 1 0 B ' A,s .......„.-.---- q . r 4 4 1 --- --------- t y opr if London : Printed and Irbitshed 03' 1 1A ,40 ° O w of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at TOE ,-' 0 fl) Strand, in the Precinct of chi!. 50°1.60. 41.1"leaex.—Saturday,..NoYeinber 12' MAILS DUE. Australia and Matultius, via ~:I lit Southampto n ' via Marseilles .."',.. , Brazil and Cape Yerds, by British pac!iet..le'ool,,, Cape of Good Hope, Ascension, and St. li e rv ptoPyr China, Penang, and Singapore, via South i jo.', J - via I\ltir,o ~ fir .. ,+ Falkland Islands Gibraltar, via Southampton ............ „tot" fi India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via SouthalL;, , 0 ,...0 - via blarßellw oil India (Bombay), via Southampton ...... ~..1" via Marseilles ........ ..,.: Portugal.... .......................... ....*.2 Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via SouthamPW v.- .' . ,P via Marseilles I' ',,, 4 Newfoundland ........................ '. ~ .P , Oporto and Vigo i , ....... • ko t.. 0 1, U. S. and British N. America, by Brit. Palot.,:,s,P t , by U.S. Pa c ,al;V by Canadialyetti All parts of West - Indies, including Chili , ...' / California. and British Columbia. ..... • Births. 1 l rio- ; BENWELL.—On the 9th inst . at Laught,lociA'ibos , (a =. ~'- tar not Rix ThIFRgN et It Pu the a'4". Sold in at 8, GI cibser 7( 1 Rl' ITIPow( }] very at tlie lov Th e vaz ''verY clay 11 IR entitl R E ' actarrer which ' 141 ,, i s , Po 3ll' vany) , 14, It B tali 4'7 T 1 Th e 0 to 'tilts I .ltry ) T H SA:A Laud aria fortr. JAi a ;", a o n v ies tc tr,Nsw( Lb; PI: bOg e : 11 '8 C A ig "dtar er tr ve„ ii!tnB , c i e lY o ri ll , ' I °u tuti cef r!le] , ov e 6,o7:tatt, Co an m tl a A i . he I , : i rtt , o , B ntalirio, ThAr ~._._l l 8 T - 11 Pit( ' ° Calig ot , et 1141 STI t , c At erA e 411.i e ut4 4 tinc 1 1'„ ile e IT 11, II D oor C 1 AI -onie N o I I gh on ,__ Ili OrrI( ~....., 41.4 Dtir p ;11,1 I 1, Di( t() t , 4I)Pc